Ski brake

ABSTRACT

A ski is provided with a heel clamp longitudinally slidable along the ski between a rear and a forward position and also pivotal on the ski between an up and a down position. A brake element is pivotal on the ski between a ready position extending parallel to the ski and a braking position extending generally normal thereto. A spring is provided for urging the brake element into the braking position. When a skiboot is securely held by the clamp it is in the down and rear position. When the boot is released and the clamp slides forwardly into the front position the abutments disengage to allow the brake element to assume the braking position. Similarly when the clamp pivots up into the upper position the brake element can assume the braking position. Pivoting of the clamp from the up to the down position automatically pushes the brake element back into the ready position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to my copending patent applications Ser.Nos. 666,232 filed Mar. 12, 1976; 678,706 filed Apr. 20, 1976 and707,453 filed July 21, 1976 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a ski brake. More particularly thisinvention concerns such a ski brake usable in combination with areleasable boot clamp.

A ski brake is known such as described in my above-cited copendingapplications all of whose disclosures are herewith incorporated byreference which has a brake element pivotal on the ski between a brakingposition extending transverse, that is generally normal, to the ski andto the upper surface thereof so as to project below the ski and dig intothe snow therebelow, and a retracted position generally parallel to theski in no way impeding forward movement of the ski. Such a brake isprovided on a ski in order to stop a runaway ski after the safetybinding or similar devices released the ski from the skiboot of the userand any safety tie has broken. Such a runaway ski can cause considerabledamage and poses a grave hazard for other skiers so that such a brake isa necessary safety device.

The problem with many of the prior-art arrangements is that they are setup so as to be mounted as an additional part of structure on the ski.Thus it is necessary for the user as he or she dons the ski to carefullymake sure that the various toe and heel clamps of the ski are properlyengaging his or her boot and at the same time that the ski brake isproperly being pushed into the retracted or ready position. Furthermorethe necessary complexity added to the various mechanisms on the ski bysuch a separate ski brake not only increases production cost but alsogreatly increases the likelihood of parts failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved ski brake.

Another object is the provision of an improved combination ski, bootclamp, and ski brake.

Yet another object is the provision of such a ski brake which is lessexpensive to manufacture and less failure prone than the prior-art skibrakes.

Another object is the provision of a ski brake which is only broughtinto its ready and braking positions by means of one of the boot clampsof the ski, independently of whether the clamp is pivoted up or not.

These objects are attained according to this invention by arranging anabutment or portion of the spring-loaded ski brake or a part thereof andan abutment or a portion of the clamp so that when the skiboot is pulledout of the safety binding or the respective clamp this ski brake isactuated. This release position of the clamp can correspond to apivoted-up and/or a longitudinally advanced position of the clamp on theski.

The clamp may be the toe or heel clamp of the safety ski binding and theski element may be formed as described in my above-cited patentapplications. According to this invention displacement of the clamp intothe holding position in which the skiboot is held by this clamp onto theski automatically also displaces the brake into the ready or retractedposition extending parallel to the ski. Thus merely by donning the skithe user automatically puts the brake into the desired operatingposition.

In accordance with this invention the ski element is pivotal on the skiabout an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ski andparallel to the upper surface thereof, and the clamp is pivotal about anaxis behind this ski-element axis and parallel thereto. The abutment onthe clamp overlies the abutment on the ski element, the up directionhere being considered to be the direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction of the ski and to the upper surface thereof,although it is noted that the device will function perfectly well iflaid on its side or even upside down. Thus pivoting up of the ski clampwill automatically allow the brake element similarly to pivot.Furthermore according to this invention the ski clamp is slidablelongitudinally on this ski and when slid into a forward position the twoabutments are not engageable with each other so that the ski elementagain will automatically spring up into the braking position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of a specificembodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the arrangement according to thisinvention showing in solid lines the clamp in the holding position andthe braking element in the ready or retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the clamp in the releaseposition and the brake element in the braking position; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1-3 a heel-holddown member 1 is carried on a heelclamp 2 of a safety binding. This clamp 2 is arranged to pivot from theposition of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2 when stressed beyond apredetermined limit in order to release the boot of a skier so as toprevent a fracture of the leg.

This arrangement is provided with a brake element 4 such as described inmy above-cited applications. This element 4 is elongated and pivoted onthe ski about an axis 9 parallel to the upper surface of the ski andperpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ski. FIG. 1 shows insolid lines how the element 4 lies parallel to the upper surface andlongitudinal axis of the ski in a ready or retracted position and indot-dash lines as well as in FIG. 2 in a pivoted position extendingtransverse to the ski so as to dig into snow underlying the ski and,therefore, brake the ski 8. A spring 17 is provided at the axis 9 fornormally urging the element 4 relative to the ski 8 into the brakingposition.

The ski 8 carries a base plate 10 on which the heel clamp 2 is slidablein direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ski. A spring7 urges the entire heel clamp 2 forwardly into the dashed-line positionof FIG. 1. When a heel of a skiboot, however, is held down under theelement 1 with the toe of the boot engaged in another clamp on the ski 8the clamp 2 is in the rearward solid-line position. The housing of theclamp 2 is pivotal relative to the base plate 10 on a pin 3 extendingthrough a longitudinally elongated slot 6 in the housing of the clamp 2.The pivot axis defined by this pin 3 is parallel to the pivot 9.

The clamp 2 is provided with a housing having a part constituting alaterally extending abutment or guide plate 11 formed with a downwardlycurved front end and may be provided with an inclined camming surface 14as shown in broken lines. The upper end 5 of the brake element 4 isprovided with another abutment 13 in the form of a small plate normallyunderlying the plate 11; an inner edge 15 of abutment 13 may cooperate(not shown) with the camming surface 14. So long as the clamp 2 is inthe rearward and down position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1 theplate 11 overlies the plate 13 and holds the brake element 4 in theretracted position against the force of the spring 16.

If the skiboot is disengaged from the clamp 2 so as to allow the spring7 to push the clamp 2 forwardly in the direction indicated by arrow 16in FIG. 1 into the dashed-line position of FIG. 1 the rear edge of theplate 11 will pass in front of the front edge of the plate 13 and allowthe brake element 4 to pivot up into the dot-dash line position ofFIG. 1. Furthermore as shown in FIG. 2 if the clamp 2 pivots upwardlyabout the axis 3 the element 4 will also pivot upwardly, as the abutmentplate 11 is attached to this clamp housing 2.

The shaft 9a defining the pivot axis 9 for the brake element 4 is atleast partially of flexible material so that as the brake element 4 ispivoted between the braking and ready positions the surfaces 14 and 15,insofar as they are provided, can coact to pivot the upper portion 5 ofthe element 4 outwardly away from the ski 8 by flexing the shaft 9a andthus bring the lower end toward the ski.

It is noted that the abutment plate 11 can be mounted in any mannerknown per se so that it may be displaced both in a direction 18perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the ski and parallel to thisaxis L. Crossed slots in plate 11 and an arresting screw secured inclamp 2 and extending into the slots could be used, for example. Thus itis possible to adjust the setting of this element 11 and, therefore, ofthe brake element 4.

The clamp 2 is provided with a spring that normally urges it upwardlyinto the position shown in FIG. 2. In addition this clamp 2 has aninternal latching mechanism which holds it down after a skiboot hasexerted downward pressure on the sole or holddown plate 12 until a forceexceeding a predetermined maximum is exerted on this clamp 2.

It is noted that the element 11 could be carried on the sole plate 12 aswell as on the housing of the clamp 2. In addition it is possible toprovide such an element 11 on the toe clamp of the safety ski binding.The element 13 similarly could be mounted at another location on thebrake element 4. It is also within the scope of this invention toprovide further linking elements between the elements 11 and 13.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofstructures differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in aski brake, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, sincevarious modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:
 1. In combination:a ski having anupper surface and a lower surface and forward and rearward ends; a bootclamp mounted on said ski and pivotally displaceable thereon about aclamp axis generally parallel to said surfaces between a holdingposition securing a skiboot to said ski and a release position in whichsaid skiboot is freed from said ski by said clamp; an elongated brakeelement pivotal on said ski about a brake axis generally parallel tosaid surfaces between a braking position extending generally normal tothe planes of said surfaces of said ski and projecting beyond said lowersurface of said ski and a retracted position extending generallyparallel to said ski and lying generally above said lower surface ofsaid ski, whereby in said braking position said element can dig intosnow under said ski to brake same; and means including a rigid brakeabutment fixedly mounted on said brake element and a rigid clampabutment fixedly mounted on and extending laterally from said clamp in adirection generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said skiand generally parallel to said upper surface thereof, and directlyengageable with said brake abutment for displacing said brake elementfrom said retracted into said braking position on displacement of saidclamp from said holding into said release position.
 2. In combination:aski having an upper surface and a lower surface and forward and rearwardends; a boot clamp mounted on said ski and pivotally displaceablethereon about a clamp axis generally parallel to said surfaces between aholding position securing a skiboot to said ski and a release positionin which said skiboot is freed from said ski by said clamp, said clamphaving a rigid laterally projecting housing part which constitutes aclamp abutment; an elongated brake element pivotal about a brake axisgenerally parallel to said surfaces between a braking position extendinggenerally normal to said ski and projecting beyond said lower surface ofsaid ski and a retracted position extending generally parallel to saidski and lying generally above said lower surface of said ski; and meansincluding said clamp abutment and a rigid brake abutment fixedly mountedon said brake element and directly engageable with said clamp abutmentfor displacing said brake element from said retracted into said brakingposition on displacement of said clamp from said holding into saidrelease position.
 3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein saidmeans for displacing comprises spring means operatively engaged betweensaid ski and said clamp normally urging said brake element into saidbraking position, said clamp being slidable longitudinally of said skibetween a back position closer to said rearward end and a front positioncloser to said forward end and being pivotal relative to said skibetween an up position and a down position, said front and up positionscorresponding to said release position, the relative longitudinallengths of said abutments being such that said abutments are mutuallyunengageable in said front position of said clamp.
 4. The combinationdefined in claim 2, wherein said clamp includes a holddown plateprovided thereon and engageable between said skiboot and said skiwhereby said clamp is held in said holding position.
 5. The combinationdefined in claim 2, wherein said brake abutment is a plate secured tosaid brake element and extending toward said clamp.
 6. The combinationdefined in claim 2, wherein said ski is provided with a pivot carryingsaid clamp, said pivot being displaceable longitudinally of said ski. 7.The combination defined in claim 6, further comprising spring meansurging said pivot longitudinally toward said forward end of said skirelative to a normal direction of travel thereof.